LAST WEEKOkay, it's the last week of the year, your last week to vote in the 1998 BRAINWASHED POLL. Vote for the best and worst of 1998, but make up your mind before you "submit." Results will be posted the first issue of 1999.

NEW YEARAs we look to the New Year, we wish you all the best wishes and are proud to announce a couple new things:

We've found a new home!
We're on a new host, we have a lot more space to play with and a lot more transfer traffic is allowed. Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen. Look for more audio, video and more comprehensive sites of what we've already got here.

MASSIVE ATTACK - SINGLES 90/98First of all, let's get a couple of things straight: I hate dumb,
stupid, chart-oriented, formula dance music. With a vengance. I also
don't have many black or female-vocal artists in my record
collection. I don't know why.
So what makes the Massives so different? So much so that I'm willing
to go out and spend 43 quid ($72) on a box set of their singles?
Like the early industrial pioneers, they claim not to be
musicians. Indeed their edgy "sounds-collage" approach to composition
is more akin to early industrial than the
some-tosser-with-a-midi-keyboard school of mindless dance.
Also, unlike most modern dance music, the Massives are not following
anyone else. They don't care who you should and who you shouldn't
sample to be "hip". They use the drum sounds and beats that they
like. They "hire" the vocalists that they want, even if they are not
fashionable or from the right genre. These people are not compromised
by external influences. Which is odd, considering they have probably
never used the phrase "artistic credibility".
For your 43 quid here, you get an obscure 5"x5"x2" abstract, dark box,
which doesn't give any clues. This contains a further abstract box
that holds the CDs and the leaflet. The leaflet in fact folds out into
a 15"x20" um, thing, with all the information on one side, and a
collage on the other.
A further surprise was in store, however. Leaving the box set in an
over-heated room, revealed that the box is heat sensitive, turning
cream in high temperatures. Very, very bizarre. I had a true "what the
fuck?" experience.
The CDs themselves are not in their original artwork but are in card
sleeves. Each has a grey side (of slightly different hue) containing
the track listing and a portion of the abstract collage on the
reverse. The disk labels are also grey and artistically minimal.
Completists also please note that the track listings are also
different to the released CD singles. Unfinished Sympathy for example,
sacrifices a couple of the Perfecto versions and gains Nellee Hooper
mixes instead.
OK, so most of the tracks are mixes, rather than all-new,
not-on-the-UK-album tracks. But for the main, most of the remixes are
good, fairly faithful, and moreover: of great tracks in the first
place. The new tracks, or re-recordings like Euro Zero Zero are, of
course, wonderful. Massive Attack's B-sides piss all over most bands'
A-sides.
There is of course another reason for buying this box set. Massive
Attack might well split up. While 3D (football-mad,
drinks-like-a-thirsty-fish) may like mixing in the guitars, Mushroom
(tee-total, vegan, slightly-weird) does not. Who knows if they'll be
able to keep it together in the studio again. They almost didn't this
time. So you may as well buy up as much Massive Attack stuff as you
can; there may not be any more.
- Nic Doye

As always, check out the latest update of NEW RELEASES brought to you by Greg and Feedback Monitor.

MOVIESREVIEWED

THE PRINCE OF EGYPT
This was not the great movie I had hoped it would be, but it was pretty
good. The part that ruined it most for me was the bad, bad songs. Oh
well. What I appreciated most about it was they kind of glossed over the
more famous parts of the story (tho portrayed pretty spookily) and showed
the more human side of the story. For once, you actually felt for the
"villain." Also, the dream sequence, which is told out by moving
hieroglyphics, is perhaps the greatest animated scene in history. I told
you all you should have voted for Dole! - Thomas Guttadauro

FEEDBACK

REALITY CHECK
Subject: Net Space on your Domain?

hello,

I was wondering if there was anything that I could do to get netspace on your
domain? I am a solo artist in the ebm/idm vein and I use primarily analogue
but some digital synths. Currently, I have a site on geocities, and I hate the
pop-up advertising. I can send you this link so that you can see that I have
accomplished something, but I would prefer to finish it first (I've only been
working on it for two weeks, but I still think it looks pretty good imo).

please let me know

I'm sorry, but the only bands at brainwashed are established bands

the reply:
No problem- but who said anything about not being established? And what does
it take to be established these days? Also, if it was really about the music,
what does establishment matter? Isn't that the focus of your web site- to
provide space for bands that "do not receive enough attention."

People who try to do great things ruin it by doing what they are supposed to
be opposing.

Tis not the season to be a greedy, selfish twat. Sorry I can't help you and the hundreds of thousands of others out. We are exclusive and selective because we do it out of our own free time. None of us get paid, and with that comes trust. Maybe you should shell out the cash and get yourself a domain. Notariety has its price and everybody wants to get their own piece.

Subject: brainwashed

Hello

Just aword about your web site (brainwashed):
It seems to be very interesting and well done, but I just
wondered why there were pages about current 93, non or
death in june, as these people are nothing but fascists...
I'd like to know what's your opinion about this.
No offence meant, but I just think that it's not really
appropriate to put these people next to others like meat
beat manifesto, etc. who, on the contrary, are real
anti-fascists.

Apart from that, very good site...

We also don't need to become a target for your cause. Brainwashed is devoted to MUSIC and we, the web writers, are not the musicians, so go cry your cause to somebody who will listen or care. I'm not going to sit here and defend the bands or point out how you have grossly mis-interpreted their music, that's not my job. None of us have time for this crap.

Nice site you have... We sent you lately some info about our new releases... Would be nice if you can include this in your upcoming list...

New Release Information gets sent to Greg, who handles the Releases page.
CDs for reviews can be sent to the address below.

LINKOF THEWEEK

CURSES!Well, you're probably about sick of all the different ways to say Happy Holidays in different languages, here's a place where you can learn something USEFUL! Learn to curse in different languages at the Multi-Lingual Swear list at www.jps.net/scritch/swear.html

DISCOUNTCELEBRITYOF THEWEEK

ERIN MORANOnce star of Joanie Loves Chachi opposite Scott Baio, Erin started playing Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days. Her only known appearance after that show was in the made-for-tv movie from 1996 titled "Dear God" directed by Garry Marshall. She's a great actress and really eager to be in one of those Old Navy commercials with the more popular Discount Celebrities...

WHAT'S INYOUR CDPLAYER?

I think everybody's too busy this week to submit what's in their player...